The objective of this project is to develop procedures, and to set up pilot facilities for the eventual large-scale breeding of leeches whose secretions contain the highly specific anticoagulant agents hirudin and hementerin, one a thrombin inhibitor and the other a promoter of fibrinolysis, as well as hyaluronidase active against pathogenic bacteria. The initial breeding experiments will be carried out with the world's largest leech species, Haementeria ghilianii.